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Once-struggling retailer hopes to fill void after Babies R Us closure

Signage is displayed at the entrance of a JC Penney department store inside the Manhattan Mall, May 15, 2017 in the Herald Square neighborhood in New York City.

SOURCE: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

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Once-struggling retailer hopes to fill void after Babies R Us closure

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Updated: 10:20 AM EDT Aug 10, 2018

J.C. Penney is expanding its baby products beyond clothing as the department store joins many other chains trying to claim some of the Babies R Us sales up for grabs.The Texas-based chain is opening baby shops in 500 stores that are near now-shuttered Babies R Us locations. Starting Aug. 30, J.C. Penney will sell cribs, high chairs, strollers and car seats in its stores. Those items were previously only sold online. Retailers like Walmart, Target, BuyBuy Baby and Amazon are trying to attract former Babies R Us shoppers by adding more baby products, enlisting pregnant celebrities for promotions, or helping people recreate their gift registries.J.C. Penney is hoping to turn its own profits around after a dismal first quarter. The company reported an adjusted loss of $69 million in the first quarter of 2018, even worse than Wall Street was expecting, and lowered its projections for the year. Sales fell 4%, also missing estimates.Much like floundering rival Sears, JCPenney is struggling to adapt to the changing retail landscape as people increasingly shop on their phones.Earlier this year, JCPenney announced it will cut 360 jobs at its stores and corporate headquarters. That's on top of more than 5,000 layoffs in 2017, after JCPenney decided to close nearly 140 stores. It has about 860 left.CNN contributed to this report.

J.C. Penney is expanding its baby products beyond clothing as the department store joins many other chains trying to claim some of the Babies R Us sales up for grabs.

The Texas-based chain is opening baby shops in 500 stores that are near now-shuttered Babies R Us locations. Starting Aug. 30, J.C. Penney will sell cribs, high chairs, strollers and car seats in its stores. Those items were previously only sold online.

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Retailers like Walmart, Target, BuyBuy Baby and Amazon are trying to attract former Babies R Us shoppers by adding more baby products, enlisting pregnant celebrities for promotions, or helping people recreate their gift registries.

J.C. Penney is hoping to turn its own profits around after a dismal first quarter.

The company reported an adjusted loss of $69 million in the first quarter of 2018, even worse than Wall Street was expecting, and lowered its projections for the year. Sales fell 4%, also missing estimates.

Much like floundering rival Sears, JCPenney is struggling to adapt to the changing retail landscape as people increasingly shop on their phones.

Earlier this year, JCPenney announced it will cut 360 jobs at its stores and corporate headquarters. That's on top of more than 5,000 layoffs in 2017, after JCPenney decided to close nearly 140 stores. It has about 860 left.